Oarlock



y 6, 1947- J. A. ALDRICH 2,420,161

OARLOCK Filed Dec. 11, 1945 Patented May 6, 1947 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE OARLOCK John A, Aldrich, Hampton, N. H.

Application December 11, 1945, Serial No. 634,231

6 Claims.

My invention relates to oarlocks and it has for its object to provide an improved oarlock of that class which comprises a yoke member having a vertical stem that is swivelly mounted upon the gunwale of a boat, said yoke member serving as a socket for the oar and including a closure member pivotally connected with one arm thereof and adapted to extend across the car and to be separably connected with the other arm of the yoke member thereby to secure the car within the latter.

To this end I have provided certain improvements in oarlocks of the class described as set forth in the following description, the novel features of the invention being particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close of the description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is n elevation of an oarlock constructed in accordance with this invention showing the same applied to the gunwale of a boat and in its closed condition.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 shows the oarlock of Figs. 1 and 2 in its open condition.

Figure 4 is an elevation of an o-arlock embodying an alternative construction.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the oarlock of Fig. 4 as viewed from the right hand side of the latter.

Figure 5 shows the oarlock of Figs. 4 and 5 in its open condition.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises an oar-supporting yoke member it made at its middle with a downwardly extending stem l 1 whose lower portion is swivelly mounted within a bracket l2 fixed to the gunwale [30f a boat and by which said yoke member is supported.

The lower end of the stem His bifurcated as shown in Fig. 2 and within the slot 11 thus provided is arranged an elongated rectangular latch member it that is loosely fastened in position by a pin l5. This pin occupies a more or less L- shaped or angular slot is formed in said latch member, one end of said slot being disposed about midway between the opposite ends of the latch member and adjacent to one side thereof and the opposite end of the slot being disposed adjacent to one end of the latch, at the middle thereof. Thus when the pin [5 occupies the inner end. of the slot IS the opposite end portions of the latch project from the opposite sides of the stem H as shown in Fig. 1 so that the stem cannot be lifted out of the bracket l2 because of the engagement therewith of the opposite end portions of the latch and the latch cannot be swung into a position wholly within the slot I? of the stem because of the engagement of one or the other end thereof with the bracket. When, however, the latch I4 is lifted from the position 2 shown in Fig. 1 into position against bracket l2 and then shifted endwise toward the right so that pin 15, occupies the opposite or outer end of slot [6, the latch I4 can then be swung clockwise on pin I 5, into a. position where. it is entirely within slot l'i thereby unlocking stem H and freeing the same for withdrawal from bracket [2. The stem H is returned to the bracket while. the

latch is entirely within its slot and it is locked. therein by restoring the latch to the position.

shown in Fig. l by first swinging the latch contraclockwise into a horizontal position and then shifting it endwise toward. the left and permitting the pin E5. to occupy the inner end of the slot l6 which secures the latch in its operative position. The upper end portion of one of the arms 2.!

of yoke IQ is bifurcated. to provide the same with. a. slot 48 within which is arrangedoneend'ofan.

arcuate closure member IS'that is pivotally connectedwith arm 2!; of the yoke by a pin Zilwhose. axis is disposed perpendicular to the axis. of'stem. It will thus be clear that closure, member l9.-

ii. may occupy either a closed position where its free end rests upon an abutment provided by the topof the other arm 22 of the yoke, or an open.

position as shown in Fig. 3 where a pin 23 carried by. the closure member rests upon a, stop shoulder 24 provided adjacent to the upper end of arm 2 I.

As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the closure member I8 is made with a heel portion25 which= is sheathed within slot, I8 when said member is in its closed position (Fig. 1) and which projects into the crotch of yoke i 5 when said member occupies its open position (Fig. 3). It will thus be clear thatwhen shipping an oar into the crotch of yoke ID said oar engages heel 25 and acts through the same to swing the member ISfrom its open to its closed position, or in other words posite ends are fixedly mounted within aperturesprovided in the opposite side walls of slot 26'. Also pivotally mounted at 28 within the slot 26 is a detent 29 having a hub portion fashioned to cooperate with the pivoted end of latch 26 as;

will be described.

At its outer end the latch Zt-is-made with a pair of, laterally projecting 1ugs3fl, 38 (Figs, 1 and 2), to cooperate with a pair of abutment lugs 3], 31; provided at the upper endof the arm 22 of yoke It, said lugs 3| being strengthened and reinforced by an arcuate rib 32 forming part of an arm 22. The latch 28 and detent 29 areprefierably, butnot essentially, loosely supported by their pins 21 and 28 so that when closure member 19 is swung by the oar from its open position shown in Fig. 3 over into its closed position shown in Fig. 1 the latch 26 is automatically swung from its retracted position shown in Fig. 3 into its operative position shown in Fig. 1 where its lugs 30 occupy positions beneath the abutments 3], while at the same time the detent 29 is automatically swung from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 where it is in a position behind a finger 34 provided at the inner end of latch 26 thereby securing the latter in latched relationship with the lugs 3|.

When closure member I9 is to be opened the detent 29 i swung clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the limit of its movement in that direction thereby freeing latch 26 so that the latter can be swung upwardly into position against the detent, continued application of pressure against latch 26 serving to swing closure member 19 from its closed position shown in Fig. 1 over into its open position shown in Fig. 3.

The parts of the above described embodiment of the invention are designed to be produced, in most part, as drop forgings or as maleable iron castings.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 comprises a yoke Illa molded to shape from sheet metal and comprising a base portion 34 provided at its opposite sides with relatively parallel spaced apart upstanding wings 35, 35 that are of like shape as viewed in Fig. 4, said wings being made at one side of the socket of the yoke with upward extensions 36 which provide the yoke with a bifurcated arm within the upper end of which is arranged one end of an arcuate closure member 19a which is pivotally connected with said arm by a pintle 37. The opposite end of closure member |9a is made upon its outer side with an abutment shoulder to cooperate with the nose of a latch 39 whereof one end is pivoted at 50 between the wings 35, 35 adjacent to the side of the yoke opposite to the side thereof that is provided with the arm 36, 36. The outer end of the latch 39 is weighted as at 4| so that gravity tends at all times to urge the latch toward the position shown in Fig. 6.

The base portion 34 of the yoke [0a is permanently and rigidly connected with the upper end of a stem Ila by welding 42, or in any other suitable manner, and this stem may be provided with a latch l4 similar to the latch of Figs. 1 and 2.

While the member |9a is caused by gravity to occupy its open position shown in Fig. 6 a portion thereof occupies a position within the yoke Illa so that when an oar is thrust into the socket it kicks the member We over into the position shown in Fig. 4 causing the free end thereof to wipe past the nose of latch 39 which is immediately caused by gravity to engage shoulder 38 and lock member ISa in oar-embracing position. For the latch 39 any other suitable type may be substituted which will serve to automatically catch and hold the member I9a in its closed position.

What I claim is:

1. An oarlock comprising a yoke member provided upon its exterior with a stem to occupy a socket provided upon the gunwale of a boat; an interiorly arcuate oar-embracing closure member pivotally connected with one arm of said yoke member adjacent to the upper end thereof so that it can be swung into either an open or a closed position relatively to said yoke member,

said closure member having a portion thereof which is disposed within said yoke member when said closure member occupies its open position and through which an oar introduced into said yoke member acts to close said closure member around said car, and a latch movably mounted on one of said members and engageable with the other member to lock said closure member in its closed position.

2. An oarlock constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said latch is pivotally mounted on said closure member adjacent to the free end thereof so as to be operated by inertia to engage said yoke member when said closure member i swung into its closed position.

3. An oarlock constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said latch is pivotally mounted on said closure member adjacent to the free end thereof so as to be operated by inertia to engage said yoke member when said closure member is swung into its closed position, and wherein a detent is provided which is pivotally mounted on said closure member so that it is adjustable into a position where it locks said latch in engagement with said yoke member.

4. An oarlock constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said latch is pivotally mounted on said closure member so as to be operated by inertia to engage said yoke member when said closure member is swung into its closed position, and wherein a detent is provided which is pivotally mounted on said closure member adjacent to said latch so as to be operated by inertia to lock said latch in engagement with said yoke member when said closure member is swung into its closed position.

5. An oarlock having the lower end portion of its stem formed with a longitudinal slot extending through the same from side to side thereof; an elongate latch member slidably fitted within said slot and made of a width not greater than the diameter of said stem and of a length substantially greater than said diameter, said latch member being itself made with a slot that is closed at its opposite ends, and a pin extending transversely through said stem and loosely through the slot of said latch member, the slot of said latch member being formed to permit of adjustment of said latch member to occupy either a position where it is disposed transversely with relation to said stem with its opposite end portions projecting beyond the opposite sides of the latter thereby to lock the stem within its support, or a position where said latch member is completely sheathed within the slot of the stem so that the latter may be removed from its support.

6. An oarlock having, in combination, a yoke member provided upon its exterior with a stem to occupy asocket provided upon the gunwale of a boat; an interiorly arcuate oar-embracing closure member pivotally connected with one arm of said yoke member adjacent to the upper end of said arm so that it can be swung into either an open or a closed position relatively to said yoke member, said closure member having a portion thereof which is disposed within said yoke member when said closure member occupies its open position and through which an oar introduced into said yoke member acts to swing said closure member into oar-embracing position, and means operable to lock said closure member in its oarembracing position,

JOHN A. ALDRICH. 

